About

Welcome to Z’s Cup of Tea! Here you’ll find recipes made for those with specific dietary requirements, with a focus on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

All work and photos are property of Z’s Cup of Tea, except where otherwise noted.

Goal

The goal of this blog and its recipes is to demonstrate and teach that gluten-free/dairy-free cooking and eating is for everyone, not just people with dietary sensitivities, allergies, or GI issues, and that it can be also easy – it doesn’t have to be hard. For those who are used to eating the way they are already eating and have to make changes in their diet, it can be difficult initially but if you keep on persevering, it pays off. Most of all, those who choose to eat gluten-free and/or dairy-free foods are not suffering – we choose to eat this way because we feel better when we do which enables us to be healthier.

Over time Z’s Cup of Tea has evolved from just baked goods and desserts to cooking that includes meal ideas, but leaves the option open to readers whether to have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or anywhere in between.

Background

Z’s Cup of Tea started in November 2009, then known as Ambrosia Tea Party, but theoretically it’s been around longer than I’ve been blogging. The idea for this blog started two or three years ago, when I was doing a lot of innovating and experimenting with baking and cooking to make gluten-free, dairy-free, SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet) friendly foods for my brother recovering from autism. Friends and family suggested more than once that I make a cookbook. At the time I was just starting out and didn’t have that many recipes, but I kept the idea in mind and I was eventually inspired to turn the cookbook idea into what is now this blog.

Because of my brother’s autism, all of the recipes I make have been dairy-free, although as he is improving he’s been able to add more things to his diet that he couldn’t before and that includes dairy. The only form of dairy on this site is butter (with this exception of a flourless yogurt cake), but I also include dairy-free substitutions such as coconut oil or Earth Balance when and wherever possible.

Most of my experience in allergy cooking is based on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) using nut flours, nut butters, and coconut flour. Baking with gluten-free grains and binding agents such as xanthan and guar gums is a more recent learning curve for me.

A full index of all the recipes thus far on Z’s Cup of Tea can be found here. To learn more about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), I’ve compiled a list of resources that includes websites, blogs, and cookbooks. If you think something should be added to that list, pitch in with a comment on that page or contact me.

Comments are welcome and feedback is appreciated: feel free to share your experiences with a particular recipe, anything you did differently, share a recommendation, or just want to say hi, etc. If you’re feeling shy or want to contact me privately, do so using the contact form.

About Me

My name is Zoe and I’m a self-described, passionate foodie: a term I use endearingly to describe myself and my gastronomic interests. I have been in the kitchen since I was about ten years old and have been cooking and baking grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free for roughly four years.

In addition to Z’s Cup of Tea, I also author the blog trend & chic. In 2013 I joined the team behind Pressgram, a photo publishing app designed to publish your photos directly to WordPress, as a community leader. I curate the Pressgram Magazine on Flipboard and also help co-manage Pressgram’s Google+ page.